One of the many changes we will be making at my school is to launch a determined initiative to get parents more involved in the school. There is a bevy of research that supports the idea that high parental involvement is one of the keys to a successful school. Not only that, it is only common sense that if you want kids to be successful, the support of their parents is crucial. So, if it makes so much sense, why is parental involvement so low at so many schools around the country? There is no one easy answer. There are lots of them.

First of all, what is parental involvement anyway? Showing up for a monthly P.T.A. meeting? Attending conferences as needed? Firing off an angry note to the teacher when the parent sees something they don't like? Coming to read to kids in the library? Doing volunteer hours as a teacher assistant? Participating on a site-based decision committee? As you can see, it runs the gamut.

May I suggest that a great many schools have done a lousy job of involving parents? For many educators parental involvement basically means, "Show up when we want you to and discipline your child when they misbehave at school. Pay attention to those flyers we send home and be sure and send money on picture day. Oh yeah, don't forget the fundraisers either." This isn't parental involvement to me. Involvement means interaction. My new boss held a meeting with a small group of parents who showed up and went over the state testing scores with them. Many were shocked at the results. Shocked? This should be common knowledge in the household of every one of those kids. Its their school!

There is an attitude in my profession that since we have the degree, the credentials, the training, and the experience, that parents have little of value to say to us when it comes to curriculum, budgeting, classroom management, or scheduling. Be quiet folks. See the diploma on my wall and all those nice certifications? There is a lot of truth there of course. I probably do know more about those things than the average parent, and so do most teachers. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't be open to discussion. You can't just call parents and ask for their involvement just when you want something out of them. It doesn' t work that way. We can't get caught up in silly power struggles. You want parents to help with the fundraiser? Ask for their input on the reading curriculum too.

Of course it works the other way as well. Some parents only show up at school when they have a complaint. They stomp their fight and act as if we are all a bunch of incompetents who just don't comprehend their brilliant ideas. They invoke the dreaded, "I am a taxpayer so you have to listen to me and make the changes I want." Of course you are a taxpayer and you should have a voice. That is why we have a local school board. They are elected by you and provide community oversight of the schools. Some of the things we do that you don't like? They were approved or mandated by your elected representatives. Many of them come from the state legislature or from Congress. You elect those people too! You are either happy with how we address your complaint or not. Then we don't hear from you again until you're upset about something else. And while we're talking about it, please keep the politics out. I really don't give a damn what Pat Robertson or Jesse Jackson have to say about what should be happening in schools. When those guys come down to my school and mentor a child or help with hallway supervision, I'll listen to them. That rock sitting in the parking lot has more revelance to me than hot air from preachers and politicians who have an axe to grind and an agenda to hawk.

So whats the answer? Dialogue and involvement. The doors of the school should be open to parents. They want to come up and observe their child in the hallway, peek in the classroom door, or have lunch with their kid? C'mon up. I'll escort you myself. Parents should be involved with advisory committees that have some real influence over how the school operates. Parents should be involved partners and not flame throwing critics.

We all want the same thing, don't we? Its really a natural partnership. I look forward in my own school to trying to helping make it a reality.
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